“You don’t deserve that title and you won’t hear it from my mouth. I’d never work for you or with you. You revealed yourself to the wrong fucking cop.” Syn stepped in closer and even though he was six two, he still had to look up into God’s eyes. “I won’t be your bitch. You can’t muscle me and you sure as fuck don’t scare me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Fuck yeah, I’m sure.” Syn glared at God’s smug expression and he felt the vein in his neck bulge. He was beyond livid. He’d left his home, his family back in Philly, only to get here and work for some cops that were on the take? Syn took a couple steps back and tipped his head in the direction of the still waiting Captain. “Let’s go have a little chat, shall we?”
Syn walked across the station with his head high as several sets of eyes tracked his movement. He didn’t hear the other Detectives following him, but he knew they were. As big as they were, they were as light on their feet as he was. Syn brushed past the Captain and they all filed into the fairly nice-sized office. Syn noticed that Ronowski hadn’t joined them. Coward.
Syn yanked his worn leather jacket off and tossed it on one of the chairs. His t-shirt was damp with perspiration underneath his Kevlar and his guns felt like they weighed a ton ... or maybe that was his conscience. Syn went straight to the window and looked out at the graying sky over the nearly empty parking lot. He kept his back to the other officers, unable to look them in the eyes.
The Captain whistled the old west showdown tune and closed the door. He sat on the edge of his desk before speaking. “Pretty tense in here fellas. I suppose your day didn’t go as planned, Detective Sydney. I don’t have to ask how the bust went, especially since Goose is not in custody. You should’ve waited until you knew he was in the house. My men should know better.” The Captain looked at God and Day expectantly.
Syn’s jaw ticked. He felt like a bomb waiting to explode. He knew this could be the end of his career. Did he really want to be the one who ratted out God and Day? What if he couldn’t prove it, and it all back-fired in his face? He’d be blackballed. No PD would want him. God and Day were heroes to so many cops ... especially since they were out and proud. It gave so many other gay officers hope that although their line of work was dominated by macho, alpha males, they might be accepted too. Because God and Day were as alpha as it got and they were accepted based on their abilities, regardless of their sexuality. But now Syn knew they were nothing but scum-sucking thieves.
“We thought he was there Cap, but it wasn’t him, just some addict,” Day spoke up first.
Fucking liar. Goose was there, alright.
“Our probie kicked the door in before we gave the okay. We don’t think he’s going to make it on the task force, Cap. He’s too much of a hot-head.”
Oh, fuck that. There was no way that they were going to pin this on him. Syn growled and took several determined steps toward Day before God was there, blocking his path.
“You might want to think about your next move very carefully. Especially if it involves touching him.” God’s voice lowered to a frightening timbre.
“Fuck you,” Syn growled right back.
“Whoa. Everyone calm the hell down. Detective Sydney we gave you a chance on a probationary basis and if Day says you didn’t make the cut, then I’m sorry, son. I’m sure you can get your job back in Philly. I spoke to your Captain there and he said you’re one hell of a Detective, and that he hated losing you. Well now he doesn’t have to.”
Syn was still staring God down as he listened to the older man’s words.
“I knew your father, Detective Sydney. He was a damn good man and an even finer Captain. I served under him for eight years and I learned a lot.” Myers patted Syn on the back. “You still got some learning to do, son. You can always reapply.”
That did it. Syn didn’t think he knew all there was to know about police work, but he knew he was the right man for this job. Policemen everywhere spoke of how great his dad and grandfather were. Syn wanted to earn his own greatness. He was about to take a step in that direction because he was going to do what was right, even if it cost him everything.
“I was exactly the man for this job Captain Myers, but I refuse to work for these two thieves.”